Padres at Dodgers

PHOENIX 
Carlos Quentin’s 2013 season is over and the left fielder will have surgery on his right knee as soon as next week.

The decision to shut Quentin down was announced Wednesday before the Padres defeated Arizona 5-1 at Chase Field behind the pitching of left-handed rookie Robbie Erlin and homers by Will Venable and Jesus Guzman.

Quentin spoke optimistically of the 2014 season while discussing the decision to halt his efforts to return during the final weeks of this season.

Ironically, the decision to pull the plug on 2013 came a day after Quentin had a successful running workout in the outfield at Chase Field. That positive workout factored in the decision to have surgery as soon as possible.

“My knee is really good today compared to where it was a week ago,” said Quentin, who turned 31 Wednesday. “I’m optimistic today. A week ago, I was more concerned than optimistic.

“The fact that the knee has shown a positive response is a plus.”

Quentin said the surgery — the third to his right knee in 18 months — likely will concentrate on removing floating particles and scar tissue from around the patella. The repair will stem from the injury Quentin says he suffered on July 28 during the Padres’ previous visit to Chase Field.

“I swung and my cleat caught as I was leaving the batter’s box,” Quentin said. “I gave it a day. The following Tuesday at home against Cincinnati, I felt it again while leaving the batter’s box.”

Two innings later, he came out of what would be his last game of the season. At the time of the injury, Quentin had played in 30 of the Padres’ previous 32 games.

Although Quentin believed he could be ready to play again this season, the decision was made to shut him down and advance the timing of his surgery so that he would be “100 percent” by the start of spring training.

“Having the surgery now and a longer rehab time gives me the optimal chance to be on the field at the start of next year,” said Quentin, who last spring was still feeling the effects of last October’s surgery to repair a tear to the meniscus in the same knee.

Quentin also had surgery on the right knee during spring training of 2012. That was to repair cartilage and remove some floating particles. That surgery delayed the start of his 2012 season to May 28.

Although Quentin and the Padres are optimistic about the outfielder’s availability in 2014, history is not exactly on Quentin’s side. His 2013 ends with him playing only 168 games over the past two seasons.

Quentin is under contract for two more seasons for a total of $17.5 million. He signed an extension on July 22, 2012, that also gives him a full no-trade clause.

Over his 168 games as a Padre, Quentin has hit .268 with 42 doubles, 29 homers and 90 RBIs.

The Padres are 76-76 in games that Quentin has started. They have gone 49-83 in games that Quentin has missed since coming to the Padres from the Chicago White Sox on Dec. 31, 2011, in exchange for two minor leaguers.

“I want to be 100 percent for the start of the 2014 season,” Quentin said.

Quentin said one of the options presented to him in recent weeks was microfracture surgery — a procedure that failed to help Tony Gwynn toward the end of his playing career.

“There is a big risk involved with microfracture surgery, and that was a major concern,” said Quentin, who had received three injections of a lubricant in his right knee while on the disabled list this time.

“The knee was improving, but not fast enough to ramp it up to play anymore this season,” said Black. “Medically, he was two weeks away. Playing at the end of the season just didn’t seem the right thing to do.”